Atlantic Surf Pods

Gostou We've stayed in campsites, tents, and pods all over the country, so we know what to expect. But this site genuinely stood out for all the wrong reasons. The lack of basic cleanliness was shocking. Toilets, showers, and communal areas were clearly not being maintained properly, and it made our stay uncomfortable in a way we've never experienced before. We were genuinely disgusted by the state of things, and we would strongly advise anyone considering this place to look elsewhere.

Não gostou Pretty much everything was a problem. Cleanliness was non-existent the pod and toilet had spider nests everywhere, and slugs were crawling up and down the toilet walls. With a 5year old in our family, that was genuinely disgusting. The gas BBQ was so weak it would have taken us two days to cook a single burger properly. I would give zero stars if I could, but even that wouldn't reflect how bad the overall state of this site was.
I genuinely couldn't bring myself to use the toilet/shower room at all that's how bad the cleanliness was. We ended up showering and using the toilet elsewhere every single day

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Gostou Location

Não gostou Poor hospitality and customer service
Dirty indoor area. Dirty toilet and shower

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Gostou We had a wonderful stay in our surf pod. Bed was super comfy and we were provided with everything we needed. There's a fridge, kettle, toaster and air fryer and a couple of plug sockets. The wet room was completely serviceable and great to have your own private little bathroom. Very helpful staff and peaceful atmosphere.

Não gostou Washing up liquid was the only thing not provided so may need to bring some of your own.

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Gostou Clean and cosy. Lovely staff even at the end of the season and helpful. Remarkably quiet.

Não gostou Facilites good but not sure how well it would be in the wet.
A little basic in furnishing
A little upkeep needed but end of season and the team looked busy.

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Gostou The pods were spacious and the beds were very comfortable. The sun came up in the front of our pod which was lovely and the landscaping around the pods was well done. We only had 2 nights here and it was off peak season so no-one else in the other pods so we had the space to ourselves which was great. We were lucky with the weather and could eat outside together. It was good to have a toilet next door.

Não gostou We could not get through on the telephone to anyone during the day of our arrival (or the preceding days) nor could we find anyone at reception when we arrived. The keys were left in our pod doors and we were left to find out anything we could by ourselves.
The washing up station was full of leaves and there was no hot water.
Our pods were supposed to have underfloor heating. 1 had a heater on a stand and the other was freezing cold all night. Following morning a lady came and said the fuse must have gone and changed it and it then worked - they should have met us and avoided a night without heating. She also fixed the hot water but that also should have been sorted the night before.
If the weather is bad, there is nothing to sit on inside the pod, just the bed and a beanbag. It would be tricky to try and eat together.
The toilet was next door which was handy but the shower was on the wall in the toilet too and covered everything with water when you had a wash. Strange arrangement.

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Gostou Absolutely beautiful pod and location.
Customer service was perfect
Will most definitely return

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Gostou Location is nice

Não gostou The photos & description of this site are deceiving & almost tantamount to false advertising in my opinion.
The toilet was an absolute disgrace with insects & slugs climbing the walls, the gas barbecue was disgusting covered in grease & remnants of the previous occupiers food, & when I did manage to light it after a through clean only half of the burners worked. The decking outside our pod (3) was rotting in places. The doors to the pod had massive gaps in which in turn caused the entire pod to be damp. Be warned you only have 2 USB ports available to use no 3 pin sockets & you have to switch between the toaster or the kettle these cannot be used together. The images show the pods seemingly well spaced apart again this is quite deceiving (clever estate agent photography).
The underfloor heating cannot be controlled by yourself & apparently it is only turned on in the off season when ever that is. The owners / managers are virtually impossible to contact. We had to leave a day early due to inclement weather & having nowhere to get warm & dry our clothes. We did ask about a possible upgrade to & cottage after 1 night in the pod & was told it would cost a further £390 on top of the £420 we paid for the 4 nights in the pod.

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Gostou The grounds are lovely, really well kept. Loads of space for the kids to run about and be wild.. I like that alot.
The option to have a fire was great, a really nice touch. Good thinking putting the fire pits away from the pods so you don't disturb others. The pods were clean and tidy and well equipped. The shower was unusual but fine. We had a problem with it and it was fixed within an hour.

Não gostou Leaving

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Gostou I cannot recommend this gorgeous place enough.
Myself, my friend and my two daughters stayed here for 4 nights for the August bank holiday. The grounds are stunning and so well maintained, it was exactly like you see in the pictures online. We arrived to a beautifully clean pod (number 6) and attached bathroom (shower, toilet and sink).
I had sent some 40th bunting for my friend's birthday which was hung up as requested.
Our pod had a double bed (sooooo comfy) a pull out single child's bed underneath and 2 giant bean bags (my daughters aged 8 and 11, slept on the bean bags). There was a decent sized fridge with small ice compartment, a kettle and a toaster. There are 2 USB ports (no plug sockets). We found plugs in the Laundry area (just take your own mirror!)
The gas BBQ was perfect and well received, along with all the utensils / crockery / cutlery you would need.
We were very lucky to have 3 other lovely families in the pods by us and all of our children enjoyed a night down at the firepits (slightly away from the pods) toasting marshmallows.
There is new WIFI but it's intermittent as the location is quite remote.
At the reception there are a few essentials on sale but within a few minutes drive is an Aldi, B&M, Sainsbury's, Co-Op.
During the height of season I recommend taking the Park and Ride which is directly opposite the site. £6 for a family of 4.
Or, unless you head in early, park at Crooklets Beach (its much bigger and far more spaces) and walk to Summerleaze along the beach.
Widemouth Bay is also ALOT easier for parking. This is where we went surfing with OA surf school. The best 2 hours of our holiday! £40 each with wetsuit and board hire included.
The Bank at Bude...BOOK IN ADVANCE and choose an outside eating pod next to the canal. It's not cheap but the Tapas is stunning.
We didn't want to leave after our stay and will 100% be making this an annual trip!

Other mentions - D&D cabs - ask for Donna! and Ed's Taxis. Very friendly and reliable - cash only.

Não gostou Not dislikes, just things that could be added;

Drying racks - wetsuits and towels

Hooks - for towels just outside the shower

A large keyfob for the lock - my daughter accidentally dropped the little key with keyring through the decking by the front door ...we spent the first hour trying to fish them out!!!

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Gostou Loved the bean bags, chilled out all evening on those in the sun. Really good equipment in the pod, you really don’t need anything. The pods are lovely and really cool.

Não gostou The wet room needed rethinking: the door and ceiling was wood, this made it smell damp.The bolt on the inside had rusted so much that it didn’t lock. The water from the shower didn’t really drain away, we couldn’t find and obvious drain. This meant it was wet all night even with the door open and no rain.
An updated interior on the shower room with all plastic or tile interior and a proper drain would improve greatly.
We also found the gas bbq wasn’t very powerful so we used our own camping stove which was much better.

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